September 2005: Chinatown Journey
Inspired by Bonnie Tsui's 'My Chinatown' [July], I made dinner plans on a balmy night in lower Manhattan. The crowded restaurant was decorated with bronze dragons and red chimes, and had a ceiling painted like the sky. I felt I had traveled much farther than the 10 blocks I walked from my apartment to get there. The food was as authentic as I had imagined it would be (my chicken arrived on the plate with its head still attached). And after a long, leisurely dinner, I left the restaurant relaxed. It's funny how sometimes the most rewarding trips happen after a long day, only a few blocks from home.
—Sarah Kantrowitz, New York, N.Y.